Fastener for the meeting-rails of sashes



(No Model.)

J. WOOD, PASTENER FOR THE MEETING RAILS 0F SASHBS.

Patented Nov. 18, 1.890.

Jase 7? 756051 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH \VOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IVILLIALWIG. THAU, OF SAME PLACE.

- FASTENER FOR THE MEETING-RAILS OF SASHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,800, dated November18, 1890.

Application filed May 16, 1890- Serial No. 352,063- (No model.)

To (LZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH 00D, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Sash-Fasteners, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improved fastening means of the general classemployed for securing togetner the upper and lower sashes of windows attheir meeting-rails to prevent opening of the window from the outside.

My object is to provide a fastener of the above class of improvedconstruction, which shall operate to automatically secure the windowwhenever it is closed; and it is also my object to provide such afastener which may, furthermore, be operated when desired to draw themeeting-rails together and thus secure the sashes against rattling.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a broken sectional View showing themeeling-rails of the upper and lower sashes of a window provided with myimproved fastener, which is in the condition of being locked to securethe window against being opened from the outside and against rattling;Fig. 2, a similar view showing, however, the position of the fastener,which it assumes automatically when the window is closed to prevent thewindow from being opened from the outside; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5,enlarged detail perspective views of the parts of the fastener detached.

The fastener is in two parts A and B. The part A comprises a base plate1, through which it may be fastened by means of a screw upon themeeting-railw of the lower sash, and the plate is provided with a forkedextension 5, projecting upward and slightly backward. Between the forksof the extension 8 are steps 8 the upper one of which 5' forms aninclined plane, as shown. From the lower step 8 the plate t projectsforward, and in securing the partA upon the meeting-rail wthe forwardedge of the plate should project beyond the edge of that rail andoverlap the adjacent edge of the meetin grail y of the upper sash.

' The part 13 comprises a plate 0', at which it may be fastened upon themeeting-rail of the upper sash, and the plate is provided with twoupwardly-projecting parallel standards g, between which is mounted alatch B. The latch is pivoted toward its center upon a pin g, whichpasses through the latch andinto bearings in the standards, and is thusin the na ture of a double-winged latch, one wing 19 having a taperingand slightly-rounded end port-ion and the other wing 0 a head n andextension 172, provided with a recess m in its end, all as shown. Thehead a is wider than the rest of the latch, and is provided on its innerside with cam-faces n. The parts 2) and 0 of the latch all, except thehead portion, will swing freely between the standards (1 and between theforks of the part A.

The parts being secured upon the meetingrails, as described, and asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the side 0 of the latch is swung forward,owing to the natural tendency to slight separation of the meeting-rails,the cam-faces strike at about ,2 upon the tops of the forks s and restlightly in that position. This will not prevent the window from beingopened; but a downward pressure exerted upon the head causes itscam-faces a to slide down the outer surfaces of the forks s and therecessed end m to embrace the step 3 which operation draws themeeting-rails together and fastens the Window securely against beingopened from the outside. hen it is desired to open the window, the latchis raised to disengage its cam-faces from the forks, and is permitted torest lightly on the ends of the forks, as first described. Raising thelower or lowering the upper sash will turn the latch over until theheaded side, which is the heavier, drops down to the position shown inFig. 2, the side 1) being thus caused to swing under the meeting-rail a;of the lower sash. As the window is closed again, the meeting-rail orwill wipe against the part 1) of the latch, and when the rail is passedthe part 19 will be swung forward between the forks s and engage thesurface of the step 5 which will prevent the window from being opened,as the head a cannot pass between the standards q.

Should dust, snow, or other substance accumulate on the window-sillwhile the lower sash is raised and interfere with the complete closingof that sash, the wing p of the latch by engaging the step 3, or eventhe surface of the plate t, will still operate to prevent the sash frombeing raised. When it is desired to secure the sashes against rattlingand pre- Vent the passage of drafts between the meeting-rails, the latchis turned from the position shown in Fig. 2 and pressed down, asdescribed, to that shown in Fig. 1.

If desired, the part A may be formed of metal which will permit alimited degree of spring to the forked extension 3, and this willfacilitate locking in the manner shown in Fig. 1, where themeeting-rails 0f the windows do not tend normally to separate, asdescribed The plate 15, overlapping the edge of the rail of the uppersash, will prevent the latch from being unfastened from the outside bythe insertion of an instrument between the meeting-rails.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a window-sash fastener, the combination of a catch to be fastenedupon the meeting-rail of the lower sash, and a latch B, pivotallysupported between its extremities on a bearing to be fastened to themeetingrail of the upper sash and having alighter end to engage normallywith the said catch when the Window is closed, and a heavier locking endto be turned into engagement with the catch, thereby disengaging from itthe lighter end and interlock with the said catch, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a sash-fastener, the combination, with a part A, secured upon themeeting-rail of the lower sash, comprising a base-plate t, providedwithan upwardly-projecting and back- Wardly-inclined forked extension 3, anda step 8 between them, and a part B, secured upon the meeting-rail ofthe upper sash, compris ing a base-plate r, a standard g on thebaseplate, and a latch B, pivotally mounted toward the center on the sandard to swing in a vertical plane and provided with a wing 19, and aheavier wing 0, having a recessed extension m and laterally-extendingcam-faces a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH WOOD. In presence of- J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. FROST.

